Wonderful 66.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy glances around the side of the boat hut he's been waiting beside. The elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands looks at the two wyverns that are just outside the large village on the lake shore. Dalin as he's known most of the time by the others in the group, sees that along with the elven noble on the second wyvern that's landed most recently, there's also a half a dozen guards who have got off that wyvern. While the first just had it's rider.
The two riders are off to one side quietly talking in the elven noble language, while the guards look to the large village, which is basically a town on the northern shore of a small lake.
They're definitely out of their lands, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy thinks to himself, the elf who was once in the service of one of the noble family's in his homeland silently adds, both of them.
The spy Tanith then looks away to the north, into the late afternoon sky, where far in the distance, he can just make out another wyvern heading south.
Shit, the elf from south of the equator thinks to himself, who then sees one of the elven guards near the griffons, point away to the north, and call out that another wyvern is approaching.
This doesn't bode well, the elven spy thinks to himself as he sees that when the two elven nobles look northwards, they both grin and start to chat excitedly in their language. Dalin sourly smiles and hopes that the local lord was around, or at least would turn up. But from what he's already found out from some of the inhabitants of the large village, that's not going to happen anytime soon.
The elf from the Southlands turns and walks away from the boat shed, making sure to keep it and the other nearby buildings, between him and those just outside the large village.
The elven spy walks just up from the shoreline, where a number of small fishing boats are pulled up from the pebbled shore, and onto the grass.
Dalinvardél Tanith then turns right into a wide lane, smiling in greeting to an elven maid and an adolescent elf, who walk by in the lane. He's in turn answered by a smile from the maid, and a quick wave of the hand by the adolescent.
After turning a corner, Dalin shakes his head at seeing such a young elf, for no matter where you go, even within a principality ruled by elven kind, you don't exactly see adolescents or those even younger that often.
The elven spy as he walks towards the stables where their mounts are, sourly smiles at what he hears, then after sliding one of the stable doors open, and entering, Dalin dryly says in the common language "Do speak up Percy, i don't think they quite heard you all the way down in the Southlands".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic does have the decency to blush in embarrassment, as he's been told in no uncertain terms to be quite, the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic in the Southlands shuts up. Much to the relief of Shur Kee the monk and Tamric Drubine who he's been talking with, well arguing with him really.
The spy Tanith who has nearly shut the stable door behind him, quietly says "There's another one approaching from the north". "Three?" quietly says Tamric Drubine, Dalinvardél Tanith nods his head, then quietly tells the three who are waiting here in the stables "They seemed pretty excited to see it too" the elf from the principality of Alínlae then adds "It should be here by dusk, or early evening at the latest".
"Fucking shitballs" mutters Tam in the elven language, which causes Dalin to roll his eyes as he thinks to himself that the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands spends way too much time in the company of Dorc da Orc when the large ork is with the group.
"Indeed" dryly says the elven spy in his native language to the former heir to castle Drubine, then switching back to the common language, the elf from the principality of Alínlae says to the three of them "Remember stay quiet" he then adds "Hopefully we won't even have to confront them" though he knows the likelihood of that is rather slim.
After all, they kind of attract attention when they're trying not to, especially when there's one loud mouthed, rambunctious, and overbearing knight in the group.
At least Dorc isn't with us at the moment, that's something i guess, Dalinvardél Tanith thinks to himself after he slips out of the stables, closing the door fully behind him. The elven spy then crosses to the inn, that's across the street.
The elf form Alínlae in the Southlands walks up onto the porch, and enters the inn, and after greeting the innkeeper, a rather attractive elven maid, the spy Tanith makes his way into the common room, where he walks over to the table where Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, and Lisell Maera are sitting.
"Seems everyone in town is talking about them" quietly says Dalin after he hears what some of the patrons in the common room are discussing. There's about a dozen other people in the common room at the moment, with more entering for the evening meal as it approaches dusk. And everyone, mainly elves, with just a few humans in the inn at this time, are all talking about the two wyverns and those who flew them here to the lake side town.
"Where is he?" quietly asks Riley Hait the mercenary ranger in the elven language "Most likely watching them" replies Dalinvardél Tanith in the same language, who then adds "As are half of the villagers are doing" as he saw quite a lot of the locals watching the two wyverns and those who came with them. Though they were watching from a far, as they were keeping their distance.
The spy Tanith looks at the ranger Hait, and mouths the words "Another one" then he quietly says "From the north" the mercenary ranger sourly smiles, then after nodding in understanding, he dryly says "Great".
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who along with Lisell Maera are posing as siblings, says to the elven spy "The others?". "Keeping quiet" replies the elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands, who then silently adds, well i hope they are.
Both the mercenary ranger and the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury lift eyebrows in scepticism at that, and the spy Tanith tells them "Well they were when i just checked in on them before i came in". "I wonder for how long?" dryly says the ranger Hait, the elf from south of the equator doesn't answer that, as he knows that sooner or later sir Percavelle will start yapping again, and loudly too. Dalin just hopes it's much later, rather than sooner.
The spy Tanith orders some bread and cheese, as well as a bowl of fruit, and a cider, a non hard one, which he sees Riley and Lisell are drinking too. After the server departs to attend to another table, the elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands says "I don't think they'll enter the village until the other one shows up" the ranger Hait asks "You sure?". "Seems likely" replies the elven spy who then adds "After all this isn't their lands". Both the mercenary ranger who is from the elven principality of Envadarlen, and the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury nod when they hear that.
For the three of them, along with the rest of the group, have been told by Helbe the elven thief, that the trio of elven nobles, the two just outside the lake shore village, as well as the one still approaching from the north, are all related, they're cousins.
With the one yet to arrive, the nobleborn elf whose guards were attacked by sir Percavelle Lé Dic in a village tavern a few evenings ago when they were traveling down from the north in the central region of Maladimbáh.
And by all accounts he's one of the least reputable local lords in the principality, who presses, as in force interns, those in his lands, into his service. Either to his guards, their support, or household staff at his various towers, manses and lodges throughout his lands.
Dalinvardél Tanith's meal and drink arrives, as do other customers to the inn, one of them a little bit later as the fading light of dusk takes affect outside, is prince Helbenthril Raendril. Who enters the common room, and makes his way over to the table where the trio from south of the equator are, he sits down in the empty seat beside the spy Tanith.
"We might have a bit of a problem" quietly says Helbe the elven thief "Oh?" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, who then adds in a dry tone "Nothing new there really". The young elven noble sourly smiles, then he casts a spell.
"You can talk freely, no one can hear us" says the elven masterthief who continues with "They'll just hear the hum of conversation, but not the actual words" the ranger Hait, who in actual fact is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra nods, then says "What's the actual problem?".
"That lord approaching from the north" says the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel in the Southlands, who then continues with "Parsenellé is his name" then he adds "I won't exactly be able to cast anything against him, and probably not that much against his two cousins waiting outside the village".
"Why not?" asks Lisell Maera with a frown upon her face, the teenager from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury in the Southlands adds "I thought you could hide your spell work from other casters?" she continues with "And that you're even a spellcaster?. "I can" says the elven magic user who after pause, he sourly smiles, then in a tone that matches his smile, he says "He has a sprite" Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman sourly smiles, while the spy Tanith sighs and shakes his head.
With a frown upon her face after looking at the other three from the Southlands, Lisell Maera asks the elven princeling "And that means?". "Certain things, creatures and even people are immune to magic" says Helbe the elven thief who continues with "Like sprites and pixies, or dragons" the elven master assassin pauses then looks at the teen from Brattonbury as he adds "Or the undead".
Lisell winces as she thinks of lord Farque who can sense anything and anyone magical, and is immune to just about all magic "Damn" mutters Lis "Exactly" says Helbenthril Raendril with a nod of his hooded head.
"What can we do?" asks Dalinvardél Tanith "Hopefully this lord Parsenellé is getting distracted at the moment" is the reply from the grandson of Prince Raendril who continues with "But I'm guessing he'll show up a little later this evening, and we'll have to confront him and those waiting nearby when they enter the village" he then adds "I won't be that much of an advantage when we do".
"Great" dryly murmurs Riley Hait, who then after a pause adds "Shur Kee?" the young elven noble nods his hooded head, then quietly says "He'll always be our hidden advantage" the elven princeling looks at the other three from south of the equator, then he tells "If we get into a fight, which lets face it, we probably will, keep him safe until he can do his thing".
"What exactly is his thing?" quietly asks Lisell Maera "Beats me" replies the elven masterthief who continues with "It isn't magic, i think it's something to do with the system of his belief". Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson remains silent on the subject of Shur Kee the monk. He knows exactly what the power the acolyte in the order of Bru Li has at his disposal.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra has met the source of Shur Kee's power a couple of times over the years. Though he would rather of not, as he was dead at the time when he met the spiritual being, the Jade Warrior Bru Li in the death realm.
Dalinvardél Tanith asks his fellow elf from the Southlands "So we wait" prince Helbenthril Raendril nods then says "We wait".
A little while later and the young elven noble glances down at the table top where Narladene the ground pixie appears, and to him only, the naturally magical creature shakes her head no "Lord Parsenellé will be here fairly soon, and he knows I'm here now".
"Right then" quietly says the spy Tanith as they all get up "Here we go" adds Dalin as they make their way through the busy common room, and out of the inn and into the night . . . . . .